Welcome [back], Izzy. I guess a fair number of people just have to go through the early"mod" phase to see that there is a lot of wisdom in the basic program, even if they ease into it or take a few tries. Hope to see you in the general discussion or on your own thread._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

Hi all, and season's greetings! I left No S after a few months, mainly due to my previous brain-washing from other writers (mainly Gillian Riley, who's anti-diet, anti-rules and anti-caring-about-weight-loss, and Debra Waterhouse who is pro-snacking), but also because I wasn't losing any weight. Looking back, I wasn't losing any weight because I was eating too much at weekends - which I think would have changed had I persisted with No S. I think I was still hoping for some magic way of still being able to eat sweets and snacks freely, and was not facing up to the fact that even in No S, you can't 'be stupid' on S days.

So I just went back to my old permasnacking habits. 😞

Now, I am looking at No S again and wondering if I am strong enough to do it. One big incentive for me is knowing how much more I enjoy my food - both meals and S day treats - when I'm eating moderately. But weight loss is also important to me. I've found that if I follow Gillian Riley's advice and stop caring about weight loss and 'matters of vanity' (my own interpretation of what she says), then my addictive appetite wins the day. After all, commodities such as self-esteem and good health can still be attained (to a point) while overeating, so they don't really provide a firm incentive to stop. However, weight loss is the one thing that cannot be attained while overeating!

So...I seem to be in this permanent argument against the logic of Gillian Riley, and keep going back to her books, only to keep on failing to control my overeating at all! Actually, I have thrown away the paperback copies I have, but not only are they still in my Kindle, THEY ARE IN MY HEAD!🙄

I'm worried that if I try No S again, at the first sign of trouble I will revert to the idea that 'rules don't work!' Or 'snacks are important'. Have any of you regulars ever had these dilemmas? I would love to try again.

I've read only some of her work. She does a great job of describing all the reasons people overeat. I think I get what she says about where freedom can lead. But combatting modern foods that are SO easy to overeat is tough,and so is the attitude that it's okay to eat at any time. What keeps me with No S is the fact that there are no slim CULTURES (not slim people) who advocate such a free attitude towards eating. They all have HABITS/routines that end up keeping most of their population at normal BMI, UNLESS their habits are being eroded by other influences that erode meal-based eating, not all meals big, quality food, savoring food, etc.

I still experiment with ideas like Riley's on S days. I didn't start like that, though. It's an evolution!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

Hi all, and season's greetings! I left No S after a few months, mainly due to my previous brain-washing from other writers (mainly Gillian Riley, who's anti-diet, anti-rules and anti-caring-about-weight-loss, and Debra Waterhouse who is pro-snacking), but also because I wasn't losing any weight. Looking back, I wasn't losing any weight because I was eating too much at weekends - which I think would have changed had I persisted with No S. I think I was still hoping for some magic way of still being able to eat sweets and snacks freely, and was not facing up to the fact that even in No S, you can't 'be stupid' on S days.

So I just went back to my old permasnacking habits. 😞

Now, I am looking at No S again and wondering if I am strong enough to do it. One big incentive for me is knowing how much more I enjoy my food - both meals and S day treats - when I'm eating moderately. But weight loss is also important to me. I've found that if I follow Gillian Riley's advice and stop caring about weight loss and 'matters of vanity' (my own interpretation of what she says), then my addictive appetite wins the day. After all, commodities such as self-esteem and good health can still be attained (to a point) while overeating, so they don't really provide a firm incentive to stop. However, weight loss is the one thing that cannot be attained while overeating!

So...I seem to be in this permanent argument against the logic of Gillian Riley, and keep going back to her books, only to keep on failing to control my overeating at all! Actually, I have thrown away the paperback copies I have, but not only are they still in my Kindle, THEY ARE IN MY HEAD!🙄

I'm worried that if I try No S again, at the first sign of trouble I will revert to the idea that 'rules don't work!' Or 'snacks are important'. Have any of you regulars ever had these dilemmas? I would love to try again.

All the best!

Welcome back! "snacks are important" sounds kinda like a rule to me (you have to have snacks). "You can't have rules" (loosely rephrased!) also sounds like a rule to me. (Sometimes I play such mind-games to help me out of these types of logical quagmires!).

Ask yourself...do you feel free from food when you permasnack--are you getting the freedom you want? If not, consider the freedom that having a few simple rules can bring to you.

Do you have the No-S book? Try re-reading it several times to help your mind really think through the concepts presented and the way they are backed up with statistics (that's one thing that I keep going back to--how much our culture changed in the last now 40 years--and how that has negatively impacted our health).

Personally, I have enough weight to lose that health will be impacted if I don't decide to do something about it (increased risk for developing high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes etc...). It certainly impacts my energy and my desire to exercise now. And some kind of exercise is necessary for strength, the heart, bone health, etc... The weight I'm carrying does impact my joints, even now.

I think the benefits of No-S far outweigh the constraints of the few rules it imposes!_________________Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.

28.5 lbs. down, 34.5 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.

"...slim cultures...value not overeating. They don't eat more of a food just because it's good. They enjoy the food more."--Oolala

It's the first time I didn't eat all the skin off the turkey while carving it.
(I think I left this on the wrong post and don't know how to get rid of it)_________________"Never go back for seconds. Get it all the first time." - Garfield

Last edited by noni on Sat Dec 31, 2016 1:19 pm; edited 1 time in total

Thanks for the responses! 🙂 Merry, I think I will reread the NoS book. Might even get a paperback copy. Oolala, I know what you mean about Gillian Riley's approaches being good for S days. I do like her idea of Times and Plans, and the basic concept of food addiction. She is definitely a writer of integrity, even though she has proved a stumbling block for me!

I wish I had read this thread the two times before I left No S.
Both times I had too many modifications, the red days would put me in a tail spin and once I started in on sweets, I could not stop. I refused to move my body even 14 min.
I came back because THIS is how I want to live.
OOLALA told me once to just hit 80% compliance. I decided I could do at least that and will just see where No S takes me in a years time, I know what the other diets will do for me in a year, time for a change.
No more diet head for me, but I can see that this will be a struggle..just today, I walked past an Advocare booth at a trade show and had a second where I thought, "I should stop and see what they have for weight loss. Nope, I am on No S and don't need to spend any money on extra stuff." THAT was a freeing moment today!_________________Vanilla No S ReStart 12/26/16

Things should be as simple as possible, but not simpler.
~Albert Einstein

I think everyone should have to read this thread before they start and definitely before they modify or leave!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

Well... I did a strict No-S "diet" back in the days without knowing about the No-S plan. I was part of a group advocating this "no sweets, no snacks, no seconds, no trigger foods" on a permanent basis. It was working really well for me, going from 200+ pounds to 147 pounds (pregnant!). But I went back to sugary treats after 2 years. I forgot. I thought I would be fine. I thought I could do "moderation". Turns out I can't. And I am now standing at 240 pounds..... yeah. I love the No-S diet, but for myself, from my own personal experience, I can't seem to be able to have S-days without derailing (binging) and/or losing my peace of mind. So I am aiming at doing a 365 days/year NoS diet. Not advocating this for everyone, just a personal thing. I just want to get back to a healthy size and a peaceful mind._________________It can be done, one plate at a time!

Mods "earned" by true testing, not from "premature optimization" are the ones that seem to stick best._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

It seems to be pretty important that if you need to leave something off (like sugar) that it be permanent. Going in and out can really lead to problems (binges, going from "nothing" to "all"). If you want to make it a permanent change and enforce it one day at a time, day after day, I believe leaving added sugar off altogether can be a good idea for some of us!
I wish you the best._________________-Sonya
No Added Sugar. No Snacks and No Seconds, Except (Sometimes) on days that start with "S".

I almost did not post because I felt shame that I'm coming back after joining a few years ago, dabbling in other things (intuitive eating, Gillian Riley, Geneen Roth, Jillfit, Intermittent Fasting, Macro-counting (IIFYM) (the newest thing out there that drove me crazy!) calorie counting).... coming back for a second, and then abandoning ship again. But I'm throwing away that shame feeling!

I'm not in a [i]terrible[/i] place with food, but have established unfavorable habits that I can't quite shed and really bug me. I can eat the 3 meals/day (good, satisfying, yummy and healthy meals), but then talk myself into a cinnamon bear. Then a handful of cinnamon bears, then a snickers, then bowls of cereal. You get the picture. It goes on...

All to start again the next day.
I'm frustrated because I vacillate between the thoughts
--"you don't have to lose weight, so don't worry about it...a little treat everyday is fine" and
"but I hate how I feel dependent on candy and/or sweets and have no control at night and go to bed feeling sick...this isn't normal.".

So I'm back. I've noticed that I feel a real sense of deprivation if I can't have a little candy after dinner (even if it turns into a LOT). I don't really even savor it, but pound it down handful after handful. I'm pretty sure I'm using it to cope with my hardest time at night...putting kids to bed, doing homework with kids, etc. It does feel like an actual drug, actually.

Just want to say "HI" and sorry that I ever left "NO-S". Will you forgive me?
It just feels right to be here, even if I haven't been following the principles fully yet.
XOXO_________________Liz

this is such a valuable thread so not only that we are glad you are back but thank you for sharing your experiences! _________________Age:39
BMI: 19.5-18.5-19.2-19.5-19.2-19-19.5-18.8-18.5-18.2-18.5-19.2-18.5
Body Fat %: 20.7-17.6-19.7-18.7-19.7-18.7-17.6-16.6-15.5-16.6
in it for maintenance and, more importantly, sanity!!

I'm back! I have probably been away 6 months. I thought I could stay with the No-S program (it is SO sane) on my own without tracking here. However, I found I grew slack with picking and tasting during dinner prep, as well as allowing sugar to creep in on normal days. I see I need to be here to help me stay accountable. I will start February 1st._________________Goal Wight: 150
Current Weight: 169

Liz, I could have sworn I welcomed you back and said there was no need for shame! The hucksters and pressure are out there. Even traditional societies are being swayed to eat more manufactured food and more often. And they start experiencing all the problems we do when they do.

You won't be sorry when you break the habit.

_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

9/14/09. I remember it well. I had just read somewhere about NoS and was so convinced, I found this board and jumped in right away.

I never did have great success with it, which made all the bright shiny promises of other plans all the brighter. They did work for a time, and even one of them resulted in weight that has stayed off for two years. But even that one stopped working after a while.

I figure if I'm not going to lose anything, at least I can not lose with less work:)_________________'I do think the way to a full and healthy life is to adopt the sensible system of small helpings, no seconds, no snacking, and a little bit of everything. Above all, have a good time.' Julia Child

Exactly. But congrats on beating the odds._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

Bump. Might do this once a month for those who haven't seen it or need reminders._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

I have tried No S a few times only for a couple of weeks at a time. I always lose weight. I even lost weight on our holiday we went on following No S eating McDonald's and Chinese takeout a few times and some other heavy meals.

I seem to give up on No S when I start seeing slower results after the initial fast loss I get in the first week because I'm a daily weigher. This time around I have decided to weigh weekly instead and be happy if I maintain or lose a small amount. I'm just in the overweight BMI category but would like to have a healthier BMI and feel better about myself.

I have decided maintaining is better than trying to diet then binge from deprivation and gain all the weight back. Plus I love how sane I feel on No S._________________197lbs as of 22/05/17
190lbs as of 01/06/17

My goal is to have a healthy BMI and sane eating habits with very minimal binges

Welcome back! I gently suggest you consider trying also to put more focus on how much more enjoyable food is and how much better you feel between meals after adjusting again to longer gaps. These inner rewards actually bring some lasting pleasure in exchange for the temporary reward of eating more. If you see that you actually like the experience and keep adjusting to increase those pleasures of eating less, weight loss usually follows, though not always steadily. But it's definitely more fun._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

Welcome back! I gently suggest you consider trying also to put more focus on how much more enjoyable food is and how much better you feel between meals after adjusting again to longer gaps. These inner rewards actually bring some lasting pleasure in exchange for the temporary reward of eating more. If you see that you actually like the experience and keep adjusting to increase those pleasures of eating less, weight loss usually follows, though not always steadily. But it's definitely more fun.

Thank you for the tips oolala. This time I feel different and more positive that No S is going to work for me. I've managed to stick to it for a week so far and am feeling positive, as I have felt so relaxed around food this week. I have also enjoyed cooking dinner as I was hungry for my meal.

Being on No S makes me look forward to upcoming events where I will go out for meals rather than dread them because it won't suit my latest diet I'm on. I really think this No S diet is the solution to my binge eating issues. As I mostly binge when I feel restricted or I'm about to start a diet_________________197lbs as of 22/05/17
190lbs as of 01/06/17

My goal is to have a healthy BMI and sane eating habits with very minimal binges

If you can decide that your relationship with food is even more important than your weight, then it's already "working." The weight loss is NOT the proof. It's only an effect, which is very different. You can't lose or maintain or even live comfortably with a lousy relationship with eating. I'm on another site on which I guarantee you there are women who weigh less than you but talk like they to use a whip and a chair every day to keep the brute in the corner or all hell will break lose. I think No S doesn't just train the brute, it changes it. _________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

That is exactly what I need to focus on, my relationship with food not what the scale says. I'm tempted to throw my scales out as I base my eating around what I weigh. I don't think my partner would be happy if I threw them away so I will just try to stay away from them. Maybe even try weigh at the beginning of each month and that's it._________________197lbs as of 22/05/17
190lbs as of 01/06/17

My goal is to have a healthy BMI and sane eating habits with very minimal binges

3square meals, I only weigh at the beginning of each month. It helped me tremendously. My mood and thoughts about food were based on what the scale said each morning/ week. I figured if weight loss is going to be slow on no S there's no reason to check it any more often than that. I would have to think that " normal eaters" don't weigh themselves often.

I'm very much the same Maggiemae, my feelings about my weight can either cause my day to be good or bad. It is rather sad when you think about it that we let a silly number dictate our life. I am definitely looking forward to feeling free from food and the scales. I am already feeling so much more calm and I'm only a week in. I feel like something has clicked this time around!_________________197lbs as of 22/05/17
190lbs as of 01/06/17

My goal is to have a healthy BMI and sane eating habits with very minimal binges

Yes, i totally know the scale issue. I don't weigh myself daily. Not even weekly but i also let the number on the scale dictate how i feel. I don't want that anymore. I lost weight since i started NOS but i still have this number in my head i want to reach. I know it should not matter how much weight i will lose, but still.... So now i'm working on that . I only started at the beginning of this year and want NOS to become my lifestyle for the rest of my life. So there is (hopefully ) lots of time to work on this.

I'm going to post a comment on each of your threads, if that's okay, so this doesn't turn into a scale thread. But glad you're back._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

I left because habits were good and weight loss is mind-bendingly slow. Downward trend, which is great, but oh so slow. There wasn't much to talk about.

I came back because I had a Bad Thing happen in my life and I want to make sure I keep to good habits._________________------
My blog http://noelfigart.com/blog/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.

Sorry to hear about the bad thing, NF, but glad to see you. I've never thought of you as leaving because I didn't suspect that you had gone and tried something else nor had given up the guidelines. I hope posting will help get you through whatever you need to get through. I know very well how the old urges to eat can reappear in similar stressful circumstances even when it has been very clear for a long time that stress eating never really relieves stress and often compounds it.

We're on your side._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

I left because habits were good and weight loss is mind-bendingly slow. Downward trend, which is great, but oh so slow. There wasn't much to talk about.

I came back because I had a Bad Thing happen in my life and I want to make sure I keep to good habits.

I've missed you! I do get there not being a lot to talk about with progress so slow, and find myself checking in weekly or a couple of times a week instead of daily like in the beginning. I hope you'll keep checking in from time to time, and I'm so sorry to hear something bad has happened in your life. (((Hugs))) & praying for you._________________Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.

28.5 lbs. down, 34.5 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.

"...slim cultures...value not overeating. They don't eat more of a food just because it's good. They enjoy the food more."--Oolala

My main problem was S days. I would just pretty much binge eat. Which I knew was not the way to go, but I couldn't figure out how to deal with it.

This time around, I am trying to be much more mindful of what I eat on S days. I try to plan my treats in advance, which gives me something specific to look forward to. (For example, I might tell myself that I can have an ice cream cone on Saturday afternoon.) I'm not strict about this, but I do try to limit snacks, etc. to two or three treats spread out over the weekend.

Sometimes, just remembering how uncomfortable it was and how you just don't want to go down that road again is enough to do things differently this time. It's an inside job!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

I left primarily due to pregnancy. I was worried about going off no s, but my doctor basically ordered the snack to assist with weight gain. I wasn't able to eat enough for each meal, I would get full way too fast. After that, the ravenous-ness of nursing really sent things off-kilter snack-wise. After that time, I bought into the "listen to my body when hungry." Which meant I was eating "free foods" in-between each meal, and gorging on them during meal times. Yeah, no foods are free foods. I came to this realization not from the number on the scale, but the tightness of clothing.

I'm now back on No-S and happily am making my way towards the pre-baby fit of things. My take away from the experience is primarily the ones referenced in this post. It's more about the relationship you have with food vs. the theory, or even the weight. When I was snacking, gorging, I felt so out of control.

The 3x a day no "s" rules are my sanity. After birth is a delicate body-image time for a woman, so I felt like no s helped right the ship. I FEEL better being on it, and that has downstream effects. Mind first, in my opinion.

Sounds like your pregnancy experience was different from most women's. They seem to have no trouble gaining weight. Glad you found your way through it and back._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

Auto, it sounds like either the payoff of the meal structure becomes less obvious or you have a harder time keeping that in front of you. Maybe that's what you mean by being lazy. It doesn't sound like a very pleasant cycle, but I think it's pretty common, and often being VERY uncomfortable is what it takes to finally make something stick. BTW, feeling guilty after the fact rarely stops people but wanting to avoid feeling guilty in the future does. Weird logic, but true. When it becomes clearer that the later guilt is more painful than opposing the present laziness, the tide can turn.

We're on your side!_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

When it becomes clearer that the later guilt is more painful than opposing the present laziness, the tide can turn.

So true! When I was on innumerable diets when I was younger, and couldn't stick with them, my mother told me, "you love food more than being thinner." But then acid reflux burned up my resolve to keep snacking all day (and No S took care of that), because I wanted the relief more._________________"Never go back for seconds. Get it all the first time." - Garfield

I prefer to say I loved food more than I wanted to face the discomfort of wanting to eat but not eating. I also had a belief that I shouldn't HAVE to suffer at all to eat less. I spent a lot of time on No S eating less but not being thin or getting much thinner, but I was getting something else I wanted even more._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

I also had a belief that I shouldn't HAVE to suffer at all to eat less.

Yes. That's one reason why other diets always failed for me. It's probably why my No-S losses are slower but also why I feel it's so sustainable. I really don't feel I suffer. At best, there is occasional discomfort (want a treat but it's not an S day), and I can tell myself to suck it up for that! I love the freedom from having to think about food all the time._________________Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.

28.5 lbs. down, 34.5 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.

"...slim cultures...value not overeating. They don't eat more of a food just because it's good. They enjoy the food more."--Oolala

I'm glad I still receive thiese updates. It reminds me consistent no s will keep me sane. I'll be back up on the daily check in's for June. Yesterday was a big permasnack... when sick kids, husband out of town and exhaustion hit, I still can have the consistency of no S.

Back again for the umpteenth time it feels like! I left for the same old reason. I got discouraged when my S days were out of control and my weight didn't go down after a month or so. I'm back because other things didn't work, and at least No S gives me 5 days of mental peace. Maybe I can figure out those S days eventually and stop spending so much time and energy worrying about my diet._________________Starting weight: 303
Current weight: 301.2
Current goal: 300

I'm back again I lost a couple of kilos last time and was fairly happy with where I was at, still wanted to lose more though. But had my birthday and an out of control weekend which rolled out into a 2 month binge where I am ashamed to say I have gained 8 kilos. I then decided to join a diet which hasn't had me lose any weight just continue binging because I can't eat perfect. I have decided enough is enough and I need to get my life back in control. I am currently so angry and down because of my weight. I need the simpleness of No S to help me gain control and stop worrying about calories and get my head out of diet mode.

I have also decided to add a mod this time of one or two sweet treats on my S days otherwise I tend to permasnack and then it turns into binge territory._________________197lbs as of 22/05/17
190lbs as of 01/06/17

My goal is to have a healthy BMI and sane eating habits with very minimal binges

I'm back again I lost a couple of kilos last time and was fairly happy with where I was at, still wanted to lose more though. But had my birthday and an out of control weekend which rolled out into a 2 month binge where I am ashamed to say I have gained 8 kilos. I then decided to join a diet which hasn't had me lose any weight just continue binging because I can't eat perfect. I have decided enough is enough and I need to get my life back in control. I am currently so angry and down because of my weight. I need the simpleness of No S to help me gain control and stop worrying about calories and get my head out of diet mode.

I have also decided to add a mod this time of one or two sweet treats on my S days otherwise I tend to permasnack and then it turns into binge territory.

Welcome back! A decision to get back into good habits is a good one. Just keep looking ahead and leave the past in the past._________________Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.

28.5 lbs. down, 34.5 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.

"...slim cultures...value not overeating. They don't eat more of a food just because it's good. They enjoy the food more."--Oolala

To be honest, I left because I felt my mind rebelling against the restriction of sweets to certain days of the week. After another brief stint with intuitive eating, I decided that I was happier having boundaries with my eating habits and finally decided to return to No-S. I'm looking forward to 21 days of being on habit, no mods, and seeing where I go from there. I know I may have some wild S-days here and there, but I'm hoping my past experiences will help me keep things calm.

Actually, wanting to AVOID your past experiences is what will help you keep things calm. In the beginning, it's often a matter of will that later is just your habit._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

My story is probably pretty typical. I did No S successfully after reading about it in Women's World Magazine. I would lose maybe 2/3 lbs a week, gain a lb over the w/e. I was okay with that b/c it was a plan I could live with. BUT then I fell and broke my shoulder ,needed surgery and that was all she wrote as far as not only No s or any other weight loss plan. I remember when I was doing No S before I told my family if I ever go searching for any other plan, this is the only one I need. Somewhere along the way, I forgot about that and have tried other diets and failed miserably. Today my memory was jarred about No S and I am back. I so hope I can stick with this because I have hypoglycemia but am not diabetic. Best wishes to all and I need to get caught up again on the basics b/c I have honestly forgotten much of what I knew. I need to lose about 50 lbs but am taking it 5 lbs at a time to make it not so daunting.

Welcome home. I hope you can see that what you really need is to get overeating under control. There is no consistent weight loss without that. Here's to your managing your hypoglycemia, too. Not sure if Vanilla is okay for that. Just because No S allows for free rein on S days, it doesn't mean that's good for every condition. Medical conditions trump No S!

But there are plenty of delicious meals to be enjoyed while you heal._________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

I posted about this before, but I just restarted three days ago after doing it about seven years ago for a month and a half.

I gained weight on it before from overeating during meals. 4lbs in 1.5 months. That said, I was self-sabotaging my efforts. It's been quite the road since then, and I've learned a great deal about the whole dieting mentality. It was a matter of user-error then.

The only non-vanilla thing I'm doing right now is also counting calories. I'm not obsessing about it, but given my diet history, I wanted an extra guardrail._________________Victoria
Starting Weight 204.6
Starting Date Aug 24, 2017
Current 202.2
Total: -2.4

Welcome back. Nothing holds a candle to being convinced the options are just not viable. Counting is not forbidden! It's a personal choice. Do whatever helps you build habits of moderation. (You probably see now that a month and a half was not nearly enough time for the program to do its thing for you. Some people take off from day one; some don't. There are no guaranteed time lines. Just the knowledge that similar limits are what keep most slim societies slim.)_________________Count plates, not calories. Three a day. 7 years & counting
Age 63 SBMI Jan/10-30.8 Jan/12-26.8 Mar/13-24.9 Dec/15 24.8 held steady +/- 8-lb. for two years Mar/17 22.8

Welcome back. Nothing holds a candle to being convinced the options are just not viable. Counting is not forbidden! It's a personal choice. Do whatever helps you build habits of moderation. (You probably see now that a month and a half was not nearly enough time for the program to do its thing for you. Some people take off from day one; some don't. There are no guaranteed time lines. Just the knowledge that similar limits are what keep most slim societies slim.)

Why am I back again? Because nothing else works, of course. I briefly tried a mediation method last year and faded out. I think I will add the meditations back once I have established the No S habit as it helps deal with the issues of why I gained weight in the first place. Any author that can guess exactly when I started to regain weight (when other people noticed my weight loss and started complimenting me) knows me well enough to be useful.

Otherwise, I wasn't worried too much about my weight. Sure, I don't like the way I look, and it would be nice to walk around without wearing a 60 pound fat suit all day, but whatever. Then my husband got a full work up with the doctor and his health chickens have come home to roost. Some day it will be my turn if I don't get off my butt and address my health.

I am starting tomorrow, which will be super easy because I take my S days on Friday and Sunday.

Just earlier today, I decided to return to No-S. When I first started No-S, I wasn't seeing improvements in my relationship with food or my desired weight goals. With some health issues, I modified No-S in that I was much more restrictive about what I was eating. Although this didn't result in health improvements, I did lose about 25 lbs. over the course about eight months with this modification (significant difference for me in weight loss vs. vanilla No-S). I thought my relationship with food had also improved a lot.

Eventually, most of my long-standing health issues were resolved with the help of some alternative medicine. Without the health issues as a motivation and with being happy with my weight, I lost my motivation for both the modified No-S and vanilla No-S. Frankly, I don't think I even thought about No-S specifically during this time. I gained a good portion of the weight back and lost a lot of the motivation I once had. I realize that, though I keep telling myself I am going to reinstate health eating habits, I keep finding excuses to not and generally lack motivation and an effective plan.

That said, I remembered No-S today and realized that returning to vanilla No-S is probably my best re-entry into healthier eating habits. I am grateful to have remembered No-S because I've been feeling so down on myself for my lack of self-discipline and motivation. I am not sure whether I will get to the same level of self-discipline I exercised when I had the autoimmune and allergy modifications added onto No-S, but I truly hope that it will help me improve my relationship with food while also helping me shed a good bit of this unwanted weight. I think knowing S-days are there will help me transition, whether I'm able to lose the weight on vanilla No-S or need to further modify it to actually lose. Based on past experience, I may well have to add another "S" -- no starches... such as potatoes and flour -- to actually lose weight, but we'll see. First, I need to live the vanilla way (and start tracking my weight) so I can tell how much vanilla No-S is helping with the attitude, behavior, and weight modifications desired.

Just glancing at the site this evening, I see a number of names from when I was last active on the site, which is a great comfort and encouragement. It's so inspiring to me to see others are still plugging away at it--or are back at it again like me. Because my online time is difficult to predict these days, I thank you, in advance, for welcoming me back and encouraging me to give it another go.